The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-06-15
A HEROINE OF TWO WARS.
The Romantic Life Story of Old "Orazy
Peggy"
New York Mail and Express

The Romantic Life Story of Old "Crazy
Peggy"
New York Mail and Express.J
There died in an humble apartment in this
city the other day woman with remark
able history, il her statements are trust
worthy. Even her neighbors did not know
her real name, and it is from a friend of
the woman, who had heard her history fire.
quently, that the story comes. She was the
daughter Of an English lord aud heiress to
a moderate estate. On an adjoining estate
lived another lord, to whose son she was be-
trothed. When the Crimean war broke
out the lover enlisted. For few months
after his departure letters were received
with regularity from him, and he seemed
to be IN good health and spirits. Suddenly
all correspondence ceased. His name did
not appear in the death lists which were
published in the London papers, and it
was evident he was either sick or prisoner.
In an agony of fear and anxiety she could
stand the suspense no longer, and deter
mined to go in quest of him. Her parents,
however, forbade it, and her friends dis
Suaded her for q short time. But the con-
tinued silence proved unbearable, and she
finally stole from home one night, secured
an appointment as nurse, and before her
relatives had obtained clew to her where
abouts, was on her way to the front. Reach
ing the Bosphorus, she was placed in one
of the hospitals at small town near the
border. She scanned with eagerness the
faces of the sick and dying but found no
sign of him she sought. Remembering
that he might be in the same condition as
were the poor soldiers around her, she en-
tered into the work of ministration with
another heart. Her efforts were rewarded
in an uDex pected way, for one day, in talk
ing with one of the wounded Aen, she
ascertained that he had been ID the same
regiment with her lover, and that the latter
was captive in the hands of the Russians.
From that moment, although quietly con-
tinuing her nursing she bent all her facil-
tiles to planning some scheme by which
she might gain access to her lovers place
of confinement. She finally concluded to
assume the role of a spy, a1d requested
permission from the commanding officer to
act in that capacity. He at first refused,
but upon her pleading earnestly he gave
her consent and supplied her with the pa
pers necessary for her passing the English
lines.
She disguised herself and pretended she
| was half-witted, and by that means got
within the Russian territory. So artfully
did she play her part that she became quite
favorite with the soldiers who styled her
"Crazy Peggy" and allowed her to do as
she pleased. 1t was many weeks before
| she learned the town in which her be-
| trothed was prisoner. By neat strata
| gem she induced the keeper OF the prison
| to give her access to the cells. The taller
| thought her a harmless creature, and per-
mitted her to chat at will with the English
captives. She soon disclosed her identity
TO her lover, and together they planned an
| escape. On a dark, stormy night she
| acted more insaEely than ever, and in one
| of her fits snatched the keys from the belt
| of the warden. Running down the stairs, she
| unlocked several of the doors, including
the one behind which her betrothed was
| confined. In an instant he was out, aud,
| hidden in dark corner, he donned Rus.
sUisn uniform furnished by the faithful
girl. The jailer gave chase to "Crazy
| Peggy" and regained the KEYS, but not be-
fore her lover had walked up the stairs and
| out into the open air. Peggy" followed
| l. i'm and they fled through the darkness
until they reached the picket line. Here
the password. which had been discovered
| by Peggy" enabled them to gain the
| open space between the rival armies. An
English coat, concealed beneath her
| clothes. was put on and the Russian uni
| form discarded. In safety the lines were
| passed, and the officer retui ned to his COM
mand. So well executed had been all of
| Peggy's plans, and so anxious was her be-
| trothed to continue in service that they
both remained in the army, she as spy
| and he as an officer. They were married
| by chaplain, however, before entering
| again into active duty.
Just before the conclusion Of the war the
| husband died. Nearly heart-broken, Peggy
accompanied the remains to England, to
! find that her parents were dead, and that
| there was nothing left for her except a neat
| little estate. The associations of the place
| were so painful that she determined to
come TO America. She did so, and settled
in one of the Carolinas, where she taught
| the slaves several times week, with the
permission of the owners.
The rebellion broke out soon after and
the old war fever coursed through
| "Peggy's' veins. She enlisted nurse in
the Confederate army. But her ability as
a spy reached the ears of one of the officers,
| and she agreed to undertake the dangerous
business. She disguised herself, and as a
half-wilted woman went at will through
| the Confederate and Union armies. Twice
she was held on suspicion, and once was
| placed under guard until an examination
could be had. In some way she managed
/ to destroy the papers on her pers On and
| was released. A few evenings later she
4 was attacked by drunken picket and
! received wounds that SCARED her face
| badly for the rest of her life. In fact, it
was largely because of her repulsiye coun-
tensnce that during the last twenty years
/ she has kept in absolute retirement. Her
| favorite commander was General Robert E.
| Lee, and he regarded her with marked re-
! spect. Peggy said that once, at General Lees
| personal request, she got as far as Wash
ington and secured some importtIl infcr-
nation. Before she could get back within
| the Confederate lines, however, she was
] shut up in an insane asylum. She escaped,
but too late to render the news of any
| practical use. When she first came from
England, she invested most of her estate
| in land snd property in the South. The
| war almost impoverished her, but she man
aged to save enough to keep her in an
| humble way ever since.
Soon after the rebellion she came North,
| aBd lived at various times in Plttsburg,
Philadelphia and Boston. Then for some
reason she went to Newark, N. j., where
| she resided until several years ago, when
| she came to this city and took two Ila n
rooms up town. She was cultured, aud
| was understood to have corresponded with
a number of eminent men here and in
| England, under an assn med name. Gen.
eral Lee wrote to her up to the time of his
death. Peggy refused to disclose her
real name to her few friends, but she EVIL
IDENTIFY had distinguished relatives in Eng